Kurdistan’s Weekly Brief July 26

Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared three –month state of emergency in the country. Following the failed coup, Kurdish communities across Europe demonstrated demanding an end to the isolation of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan. During a press conference delegation of Imrali from People’s Democratic Party (HDP) called the Turkish government for an urgent meeting with Ocalan, highlighting concerns over the situation of Kurdish Ocalan after the failed coup.

In a meeting at the presentational palace, President Erdogan thanked the two major opposing parties for standing against the coup. Erdogan excluded the Kurdish party of HDP despite and did not invite them to the meeting despite HDP’s stand against the coup in the early hours of July 15. Selahattin Demirtas, the Co-chair of HDP criticized Erdogan for excluding HDP and said” Turkish national front’, that’s their prerogative, but this approach is very wrong and lacking.”

Curfew on the Kurdish town of Nusaybin has lifted partially on July 25, after four month of military campaigns. HDP will send several deputies to exam the damages of the town after lifting the curfew.

Syria

Manbij Liberation Operation: Eight women and five children while they trying to get out from the city of Manbij in addition to that, 12 people were killed as a mine planted by ISIS exploded. The killing of civilians came after Manbij Military Council (MMC) were able to release 123 civilians from ISIS held areas on July 22. ISIS has suffered loss of tens of fighters while lunching attacks on MMC to break the siege on the city. The General Command of the MMC launching an initiative to protect civilians within Manbij city. On July 25, MMC announced the sieze of a large amount of ammunition from ISIS after a failed ISIS offensive. MMC as part of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have liberated Hazawne early on last week.

Four pro Assad elements killed in result of clashes with Kurdish security forces (Asayish) in Al Hassake province. Since May of 2016, several clashes broke out in between Kurdish forces and Syrian Regime forces

In results of clashes in between varies Islamic groups, 372 displaced people arrived to Afrin. The internally displaced people (IDP) are mostly from northern Aleppo and Adlib.

Iraq

In an effort to overcome the political crises in Kurdistan, Dr. Fuad Hussien the chief of the staff of Kurdistan’s president visited Sulaymaniyah and met with Mr. Nawshirwan Mustafa, the head of Change Movement (Gorran) to discuss the political solutions in the region.

Peshmerga forces were able to foil an attack by ISIS south of Kirkuk on July 22. ISIS have launched two attacks in south and south west of Kirkuk in July in Daquq and Malla Abdullah town.

Iran

Rudaw: An Iranian border police chief has accused Iraq of failing to protect the border and allowing Peshmerga of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) to enter Iran from the Kurdistan Region and engage in conflicts with Iranian forces. Mohammad Abbasi, commander in chief of Urmia border police, stated that he understood Iraq’s security forces were strained with the war on the Islamic State but expressed hope that they would be more diligent in guarding the border.

Kurdistan24: Amnesty International (AI) warned Iran on Monday about causing death, disability, and health issues to political prisoners by denying them adequate and timely medical care. In the report, Health taken hostage: Cruel denial of medical care in Iran’s prisons, AI documents that in many cases Iran intentionally abuses ailing political prisoners and prisoners of conscious.